


Good ol' NYC

by JQ (musicmillennia)



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Daredevil (TV), Iron Fist (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending (should you choose to read 2nd chapter), Dragons, Fix-It, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Wingfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2019-01-26 18:47:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12563856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicmillennia/pseuds/JQ
Summary: While the Waverider refuels, Mick goes on a flight over New York. He's not alone for long.(Now with happy ending)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> we need better canon for this ship. also we just need better canon.

New York City, 2017. Apparently there's a huge rift in time here, like constantly moving tectonic plates. Even time ships need to refuel. After all the shit that's happened, the team figures they're due for a break. They've got a few hours, so they hit the streets.

Mick breaks away soon enough. It's nighttime, and he wants to spread his wings properly. He chooses a nice rooftop and takes a running start. New Yorkers never look up; he's safe to fly as long as he wants.

Gliding through the smog smells like shit, but flexing his wings is nothing short of a relief. His thief eyes tag jewelry stores and banks from habit. Maybe Lisa would like some ice.

Ice.

Ah, fuck.

Mick forces himself not to look for a pair of blue wings. Nearly drops outta the sky when another set of wing beats pump in his ears.

These, though, are inky red, features too pointed, with too many spines. Shorter tail too. And a ridiculous get-up.

"Pretty sure I wasn't drunk before I went out," Murdock calls, "So I'm guessing I saw your time ship."

Mick grunts.

"Anything I should know about?"

Not bothering to raise his voice, Mick replies, "Refuel."

They follow an updraft, New York a mess of grounded stars beneath them.

"One of my friends from Columbia would like to tell you to get your head outta your ass and visit."

Mick snorts. "Tell 'er I'll get 'er somethin' pretty."

He's pretty sure Murdock's eyes are narrowing. He can feel it.

"I'd rather not get into a fight with an exhausted criminal."

Mick snarls.

"You are, Rory. I don't need eyes to tell."

"Pot, kettle, bastard."

Murdock's lip quirks. "Unless you'd rather Danny join us?"

"Yep, nope, too tired."

They fly in silence for a while, working broad circles around Harlem and Murdock's den. Occasionally, Murdock's head will tilt sharply and he'll corkscrew into Hell's Kitchen for a spell, but he keeps coming back to Mick. It's weird, 'cause they're not  _friends_ or anything. Lisa might've met him in college, but that's their only real connection. They don't even have a superhero-supervillain thing.

Whatever. Honestly, Mick doesn't care. He just wants to fly.

"You know," Murdock eventually says, "you could still press charges."

Mick's jaw works. "For the last time, there ain't no abuse."

"I'm just saying, I'm willing to switch to the prosecutor."

"Says the  _Defender_."

"We didn't ask for that name."

"You didn't ask for your hero name either," Mick deadpans, "Now look at you."

Murdock scoffs quietly. "Just. Think about it."

"Already did.  _No_."

Mick banks lower. Murdock follows.

"Rory," he says, "I'm literally blind and I can see this team isn't good for you."

"Save it," Mick snaps.

"I'm trying."

Fucking lawyers. "You so desperate for a paycheck?"

"Pro-bono."

" _I don't care_."

"I'm not the only one who's gonna keep pushing this. Lisa wants you to."

Mick's throat tightens. "No Snart wants to get anywhere near a court. Either shut up or go save your little people."

"I let a building fall on me for what I believe in. I'm not shutting up."

"You let a building fall on you because you couldn't keep it in your pants."

Murdock hisses. "Her name is  _Elektra_."

"I don't care."

The dragons swipe at each other. It turns into an inter-locked fight. They roll midair, wings pumping furiously between free-falls, making their growls breathless. Chronos didn't know much karate, but he could fight. Combined with Mick's street-level style, he can match Murdock blow for blow. 

"She suffered more than you know," Murdock rasps, holding Mick's wrists in a vice.

"I know plenty 'a suffering," Mick retorts. He kicks Murdock away. "But it ain't because of the team!"

"Keep telling yourself that," Murdock says, "and you won't come back!"

Mick's mouth glows with flame. Murdock curls forward, ready to drop out of hover.

"All this for a woman," Mick rumbles.

"All this for a partner," Murdock says.

Mick roars and hurls himself at him. Murdock ducks smoothly.

"You keep torturing yourself for things beyond your control!" Murdock yells, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were a Catholic!"

Mick gets a satisfying punch in. He puts some talon in there for good measure, inner flame boiling at the spilling blood.

This is what happens when you mention dragons' dead partners. Wars have been fought for less.

What Mick wants is to fight with Len. At least Len would be alive to do it. They fight each other almost better than they work together. It's what made them a practically ideal draconic pair. He's pretty sure Murdock wants to picture this Elektra woman throwing punches too.

Why is it so damn hard to let someone go?

Sara's voice through the comms breaks up the fight. She demands to know where Mick is, why he wandered off. That he better not be stealing something or, God forbid, setting things on fire. It's the last thing they need.

The dragon in him rankles at being told what to do. Murdock clearly empathizes. In costume, wings spread, next to nothing holds back his instincts. Mick used to be like that. Then a chunk of him got stolen and the rest of him died.

 _Fuck_.

"Think about it again, Rory," Murdock says. "I'll be here. So will Lisa, and so will the Rogues."

Mick dives for the city without another word.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leonard Snart gets fisted, Matt Murdock lines up his receipts, and Mick remembers how to breathe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eh, why not? have a happy ending. y'all deserve it!

It's close to seven o'clock when Danny and Matt leave the coffee shop. Ever since he tasted his first cup in literal years, Danny's developed an unhealthy addiction to caffeine. He uses the excuse of late night patrols for his nightly run. As a survivor of law school and vigilantism, Matt's the only one of the Defenders who never comments on it.

"Haven't done joint patrol in a while," Danny chirps, a spring in his step and jitters in his fingers.

"It's been a week," Matt replies.

"Still! That's a long time in our line of work. It's so much better with someone else."

Matt hums. He lets Danny carry the conversation. They plan to stop by Matt's place so he can put on the suit and start from there. Barring last week, this has become a sort of routine, one Matt never thought he'd have. It feels like a privilege.

"Wanna hit up 154th first?" Danny asks as they round the curb.

"Figured I'd lend an ear first," Matt says.

"Right, yeah. That'd be easier. Sorry, I'm just―even if this isn't _new_ , I―"

"I understand."

Matt hears Danny's muscles pull in a smile. The heat of his chi hums happily underneath, as constant as his heart beat.

About two minutes from Matt's place, the chi recoils and buzzes.

Danny clutches his elbow. "Do you feel that?"

Matt stretches his senses. But whatever's causing Danny's powers to react doesn't register to him. "What is it?"

"I―I don't know, but. It's  _big_."

Matt's fingers flex on his cane. "Let me get my suit."

"Wait, wait, let me―" Danny's knee hits the sidewalk. His fingers  _shh_ over the dirt. "There's something here."

"I got that."

Heat suffuses Danny's flames, pulsing bright.

"Danny, what are you doing?" Matt demands.

"I―I have to do something about this! I don't know why, but―"

"Remember what happened in Midland Circle? What if this is― _Danny_ ―!"

The Iron Fist shatters the concrete.

 _Something_ ricochets into the world, nearly shoving Matt down. It's neither hot nor cold, substance or nothing, and it's maddening, but no attack comes.

No. Instead, there's...a heart beat?

"What the fuck," a voice croaks.

* * *

"Incoming message from 2017," Gideon reports.

"Put it through," Sara says.

"It is audio only. Connecting."

The voice raises Mick's eyebrows: "Rory?"

"Murdock?" Mick asks.

"Who?" Ray whispers. Mick shakes his head.

"I have something that might interest you in New York." There's something off in his tone. Mick's eyes narrow.

"Oh yeah?"

Murdock huffs. "I'll just let you hear it for yourself."

Shuffling. How is he making this call, exactly? Because this sounds like a phone.

"Honey, I'm home."

But it doesn't matter, because Mick is about to fucking trip on air. It takes two tries to get his throat working again. The others don't look much better.

" _Leonard_?"

"Apparently I was fisted outta the time stream," Snart―fucking  _Snart_ _―_ drawls. He's quieter than usual, raspier. Exhausted, but. But _alive_.

"That's not how it works!" another man snaps in the background.

"Wait," Sara says, "Does that mean you're―?"

"I blew up the Oculus, if that's what you're wondering. Mick, if I ever consider playing  _hero_ again, remind me of that."

"Yeah," Mick murmurs, "I will."

"So," Snart says, drawing out the 'o', "Any chance I can get a ride?"

"Damn right you can!" Jax crows.

"Cool."

A fucking  _pun_ is gonna make Mick Rory cry.

* * *

"A real time ship?" Danny Rand exclaims.

"You have a literal mystical fist," Snart says, "and this is what surprises you?"

He does look exhausted. Posture's hunched, eyes haggard and dark. That can be fixed, though. It can all be fixed. They have time.

Mick crushes him in his wings, covering every inch. Len smells a little different. Probably leftover temporal energy. The rest is the same: mint aftershave, gun's cold, smog.

"Did I miss something?" Len asks.

Mick wants to laugh. A weird choking noise comes out instead. "Shut up."

Len's wings unfurl slowly, pushing Mick's apart for room. Beautiful blues, fading from ice to navy, with white spots in the membranes like a fresh snowfall. Mick takes a second to breathe.

"Lisa's waitin'," Len finally mumbles.

"Are we gonna get to see him too?" Jax calls.

"No more hugging," Len says.

He accepts pats on the arm and big grins, milking the pretty speeches. Mick's content to just watch him, the real him. No alternate Earth, no hallucination, no brainwashed past version.  _His_ Leonard Snart, as he should be. Damn universe took her sweet fucking time.

After a few long minutes of touchy-feely reunion, Len comments on the year. The team clams up.

Nate scratches behind his ear. He and Amaya have been standing apart, still cautious of Snart. After the version they met, Mick can't blame 'em.

"Yeah," Nate says, "it's been over a year since you...died?"

Mick watches Len process that. Takes half a second for him to suppress an immediate reaction and make another quip about missing things. Which means the memory wipe worked. He remembers nothing of the Legion.

Mick doesn't know whether to be grateful or not.

"You did miss out on a ton of stuff," Ray says. "There were aliens."

"And ninjas," Mick adds.

Len, the giant nerd, is clearly offended and disappointed. Murdock speaks first.

"You missed a few other things too."

Mick glowers at him. " _Murdock_."

Len warily glances between them. "What?"

"Who are you, by the way?" Stein asks, "Obviously we know Mr. Rand's face." Danny smiles. "But yours is unfamiliar."

"I'm a lawyer," Murdock replies with more than a little bite, "One that doesn't appreciate―"

"Let it go," Mick snaps.

"Mick," Len says slowly.

"No, Snart. There's nothin' to talk about. Lisa's waitin', you said so yourself. Come on."

Len doesn't move. "What's goin' on, Murdock?"

Murdock smiles with sharper teeth. Danny's stance is battle-ready in a second.

"I'm a defense lawyer, Snart, but I can make exceptions when abuse is involved."

Mick's shaking his head, but Snart's eyes have already gone cold.

" _What_?"

"It's not abuse!" Mick snarls.

"What's abuse?" Ray asks, "Is someone abusing you, Mick?"

"We'll kick their asses," Sara growls.

"I'd pay to see that," Murdock says pleasantly. Danny's lips twitch in spite of himself. "Considering you'd be kicking your own asses."

Len's wings arch. "What the hell does that mean?"

"I'd like to know as well," Amaya says, expression hardening.

Murdock leans on his cane. Mick can almost hear his wings clawing at his back. "Lisa Snart asked one Cisco Ramon to make a special recording device. Nigh invisible, untraceable. She slipped it onto Rory, and it's been transmitting  _plenty_ of things to my side and hers."

Mick crosses his arms. "Don't see how that'll help yah. There's nothin' to tell."

"The evidence begs to differ. Now, with your criminal record, even the most benevolent judge won't listen to your appeal. But I think we can make our own little court just fine. Danny, could you call some of our friends?"

Danny's smile is just as predatory. "Sure, Matt."

Mick charges him. "Put the damn phone away!"

Len slams his hand on his chest. "I'd  _love_ to hear this."

"Lenny―"

"Mick."

Len stares him down, and Mick knows he won't let this slide. Especially if Murdock keeps throwing around 'abuse'. Even if there's nothing to tell―which there isn't, for fuck's sake―he has to know.

Mick sighs, folding his wings tight against his back. "It's a waste of time."

Len's smirk gleams like a blade. "Lucky for you, I've got time to spare."

* * *

Someone named Colleen can't make it because of a class full of abused kids, but she offers her katana in case things escalate. Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Claire Temple flood Murdock's unfairly huge apartment in record time.

"We looking at emotional, physical, or both?" Claire asks, clipped and professional. Doctor?

"None of the above," Mick snaps.

Len jerks his chin at him. "He's the abused."

" _Snart_."

"And it's emotional," Murdock says, "as far as I'm aware."

"This isn't right!" Sara cries, "We've  _never_ done anything like that! Mick's our teammate."

"Yeah," Ray adds fervently, "More than that, he's our friend!"

Mick grunts.

Murdock goes to his bedroom and comes out brandishing a sleek device that looks kinda like an old iPod. He pushes a button.

Stein's voice rings over the team.  _"We need a...susceptible mind to test on."_

Then Mick's:  _"What?"_

 _"Hey, Mick,"_ Jax says,  _"Can you try this on?"_

"Apparently there was something with mind control," Murdock says, "and they were attempting to counteract it."

"That wasn't―"

Jax is shut up by Luke's sharp, "Doesn't matter what you intended. What matters is the impact."

Len says nothing.

"Moving on," Murdock says, "I've organized the recordings by theme."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Mick grumbles.

 _"So, how was it?"_ Felicity Smoak asks,  _"Being mind controlled."_

Jax again:  _"I didn't realize he had a mind to be controlled."_

Len lets out a long, slow breath of frost.

"Okay," Jax says, "That was pretty awful. I'm sorry."

Mick tries waving it off, and Jones snaps, "Don't you fucking dare. Mind control's something you joke about." She takes a threatening step towards Jax. "You don't say that kinda shit and get away with it, kid."

"I―"

"Sorry doesn't  _fucking_ cut it!"

Luke squeezes her shoulder. Definite history there.

"Should I continue?" Murdock asks.

Snart's wing drapes over Mick and tugs. Mick follows, exasperated.

"It ain't like that, Lenny," he says quietly.

Len's arms are crossed. "Yes it is."

The dead certainty, heavy with over forty years' experience, shuts Mick's mouth.

It all―kinda sinks in then.

Claire sees his face and says, "I don't think you need to, Matt. Not now."

"Well I vote guilty," Jones drawls, "And the sentence should be hang out the window by their ankles."

Murdock tilts his head. "Claire?"

"Guilty," Claire says, and oh damn, that's murder in her face.

"Luke?"

Luke seems to loom over the team. "Guilty."

"Danny?"

Danny's fists clench and unclench at his sides. "Definitely guilty."

"Then we have a verdict," Murdock says, deceptively light. "Now, Jessica's presented one possibility for sentencing."

Sara throws her hands up. "Hold on! Jax has apologized, and those are just two―"

"Oh, I assure you," Murdock says, skin crackling, "I have quite a tape."

The Defenders stare the Legends down. Mick doesn't really know where to look anymore. He decides on Len's shoes.

"Can't we talk this out?" Stein suggests, "We're adults, after all."

"Sounds like you did plenty of talking," Jones spits.

"Be sure to film the results," Len says tightly. "I'm taking Mick home. Murdock?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

Murdock cocks his head. "Believe me, Snart. It was my pleasure."

* * *

"Y'didn't have to do that."

It's the first time Mick's talked all night. Lisa shoved cocoa in his hands the second she let go of her brother. She and the Rogues are all gathered around him and Len, clonked out after a mini-marathon of slasher flicks. Mick clutches his empty cup to his chest. He can't seem to lift his head again.

Len's tail tightens around his waist. "Even if I didn't, I wanted to. I shouldn't've left you alone with them."

"They weren't all bad."

Len gently takes the mug and sets it on the coffee table. "Heroes should be the best of us, Mick, not better than us."

Mick swallows. "I ain't supposed to be the one who―I just ain't."

Len sighs and presses closer, eyes averted. There's a bitter edge to his voice: "Doesn't matter how strong you are. Anyone can break down if you know where to hit."

Mrs. Vorhees arrives at Crystal Lake. Mick focuses on her.

"I missed you, Len."

Len grips his chin and kisses him. Mick's lungs seize.

"I'll stick around this time," Len says. "And if any of 'em try knockin' on our door, our Rogues'll take care of 'em."

Mick doesn't wanna think about them just yet. He kisses Len again.

"Damn," Hartley slurs, "best dream ever."

* * *

March, 2016:

"Hey, Daredevil!"

Murdock turns. "Rory?"

Mick tosses him a suped-up phone. "That can make calls through the time stream. You're gonna need it."

He leaves an utterly confused vigilante behind, taking to the sky. Blue wings are waiting for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and there y'go :D i hope y'all liked it!

**Author's Note:**

> they weren't supposed to fight, but they're dragons with pent-up emotions. i couldn't stop them.
> 
> i'll write fluff again. someday...


End file.
